


Crossfire

by cthink



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Death, Disease, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Lashton - Freeform, M/M, Slow Burn, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse, malum, pretty depressing, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 11:58:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5743024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cthink/pseuds/cthink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Today was the day. There was no going back on the plan now. After months of preparation, they were finally going to escape. They were finally going to be free. </p><p>Or an apocalypse au where Ashton, Calum, Michael and Luke escape a corrupt containment camp only to find that the world outside is so much worse. Based on the song Crossfire by Stephen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deprived of all that we're blessed with

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They had to get out.

Luke, being Luke, was panicking. They'd get caught, surely they'd get caught. The security here was so tight, no one got it and no one got out. There was no risk of contamination, and anyone who dared to ruin the equilibrium was...dealt with. But they had to get out, Luke knew that.

5 years ago, the apocalypse, as Michael so dramatically put it, had started. People suddenly fell ill (scientists today still didn't know why), coughing up blood and passing out in the middle of the streets. Dead. They had no pulse, they were dead. Or so everyone had thought. Luke remembered the horror he felt as he watched his own brother, Ben, rise from where he had previously been lying in the back garden after they'd been playing football, from where he'd previously been dead. And Ben wasn't there anymore. Ben tried to kill him, and if it weren't for Jack stepping in with a spade and knocking Ben's head off of his shoulders, he would've succeeded. That was Luke's first encounter with the Fallen. And he never forgot it.

Next, him and his whole family were ushered into a containment camp, so the government called them. Giant camps that held thousands of people, surrounded by tall metal walls, essentially impenetrable. The disease that had turned the majority of the planet into zombies wasn't airborne, oh no, you had to get bitten by one of them. And there was no cure. No one could get in without a pass, and then multiple thorough checks. And that meant no one could get out, either.

Ashton, Calum and Michael were in there with him too, of course, but that didn't mean that it wasn't hell. The entire system within the camp was a mess. If you wanted food, you had to work for it. You stole anything, you were shot on the spot. You tried to escape, well...no one tried to escape. Apart from them.

They had to get out of there as soon as possible. Not just because of the rampant corruption, but the fact that Calum had witnessed someone drop down to the floor with blood running from his lips just last week, when he was cleaning for food rations. What happened to him, no one knew. He was probably taken away and shot before he could cause any trouble, but it meant one thing for sure - the camp wasn't safe.

So here they were now, in the canteen, having a last minute discussion about the details of their plan. Their plan to escape. Overtime each of them had managed to acquire a full guard uniform whilst doing the camp laundry. It had been easy. It was sneaking past the real guards that was the hard part, but Ashton had it all figured out. Ashton always had it figured out.

But that didn't mean Luke wasn't nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know where this is going but I've got a few other chapters done, I hope you like it


	2. You'd be so proud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That meant they'd be caught. And that meant they'd be killed.

"We will meet here at 10pm tonight. Understood?" Ashton watched as the other three cautiously nodded at him, careful to make sure no one was listening in to their conversation. Ashton could tell they were scared, but as long as they stuck to the plan, everything would be alright. He knew they were reluctant to leave their families too. If Ashton had any other option, he'd bring his family with him. He'd bring them all, but they'd refused. None of them believed what Calum said, just repeated over and over again that the camp was safety and to leave was a suicide mission. Calum wasn't particularly phased by it, strangely, but he didn't have a family to look after anyway. Despite his family's stubbornness, Ashton couldn't stay. If they refused to leave, it was their choice. He'd miss them, of course, but they were probably safer where they were anyway.

They all nodded to each other before returning to their work. Ashton worked hard to sneak any medication or food he could while he was working in production that afternoon, making sure they had all the supervisions they would need to last them. Michael was taking care of guns, and Luke had water covered. Calum, on the other hand, was blocking the chute where they disposed of the bodies.

That was the plan. Block the chute so they personally had to take the dead out of the front door under the noses of the guards. In a camp of thousands, there were a lot of dead bodies piling up, whether it be from mere old age, or due to the conditions they were living in where proper healthcare was scarce. It was a long shot, but Ashton was hopeful it would work. It had to.

That night, the others were there before Ashton had even arrived. It was time to put the plan in motion. Ashton noticed how they had all done their best to look as guard-like as possible, but the crisp black uniforms didn't look anything but strange on them. Ashton would've laughed had he not been so nervous.

Picking up the bodies from the morgue was an unpleasant task. The camp had a morgue for people to mourn over their loved ones before their bodies were lost forever. After piling up around ten of the unfortunate souls onto a cart, they were on their way.

Luke didn't stop nervously chattering the whole way to the main exit, talking about how his parents had tried to stop him, but Luke had refused. Michael let them know that he had the guns and ammo, and decided that they'd better take them now invade it got bad. Calum was strangely silent. Ashton knew that Calum had changed since his whole family died. And no, it wasn't in the apocalypse. It probably would've been easier for Calum to deal with, if it had been. But no. Mali had taken the fall for Calum after he had taken an extra slice of bread at dinner, and his parents' interference in an attempt to protect their children had cost the three their lives. They were shot on sight over a slice of bread. Calum only survived because he was too young to be shot at that point. Instead, he was given extra chores. As if killing his whole family wasn't enough.

When they finally got to the exit, a giant metal door guarded by roughly 5 armed guards, surrounded by various pieces of machinery for scanning for the disease on anyone who came in or out of the camp. Those pieces of machinery had only been used when they first entered the camp, however. No one had seen the light of day since. All they had known for the past five years was metal walls and metal ceilings, and they were sick of it.

Ashton could feel his panic rising as they approached, but he did his best to suppress it. If he fell apart now, they all would. That meant they'd be caught. And that meant they'd be killed. He did his best to walk like a guard, upright and intimidating, but it was hard when he felt the complete opposite of that; small and scared. One of the guards turned to face them as they drew nearer to their escape, gun in hand, but not pointing at them. Not yet.

"What are you doing here?" The guard asked suspiciously, eyeing the cart piled with bodies Michael and Luke were unceremoniously dragging behind them. Ashton swallowed thickly before clearing his throat and replying, "the chute is blocked."

"The what?"  
"The chute. Where they put the dead bodies. The dead body chute." Ashton's words tumbled out, and he cursed himself at how stupid he sounded. They'd figure out that they weren't really guards and Ashton would get them all killed. He couldn't let that happen.

"So what do you want us to do about it?" The guard sneered, and a few others snickered. This time, Ashton composed himself and tried to sound more authoritative.

"You need to let us out so we can get rid of the bodies."

The guards all shared a puzzled look for a moment, before the one on the end looked at them incredulously and asked, "What, out there?"

Ashton nodded. They chuckled. "Sorry, not a chance mate."

Ashton lost it. They'd planned this for months, they weren't going fail now because of some ignorant guards. "Where else do you expect us to put them? Listen. The likelihood is, it's gunna take a while for them to unblock that chute." Ashton saw Calum smirk slightly out of the corner his eye. "Unless you want us to just have bodies lying around all over the place and riots starting, I suggest you let us out!" Ashton shouted the last part of his sentence, to let them know he meant business.

The guards looked uneasy, but after all sending small nods at each other, one stepped forward and asked to see some ID before they could be let out. Ashton felt dread creeping up on him. What ID? They didn't have a security card. Ashton had never felt so horrified in all his life. How could they have forgotten? He coughed hesitantly, before making up a lie on the spot: "I, uh, left it back in my room..."

"You really expected to be let out the front door without showing anyone some ID? Come on, I need to see some ID. Any of you."

"I'm sorry, we don't have any. Come on, just let us out, it's a five minute job."

"ID, please."

Then the security guard was hit in the chest by a bullet, blood was splattering across Ashton's face, everyone was pulling out their guns. Before Ashton could react, Michael was dragging him down behind the cart whilst loading his gun and taking aim. Ashton was in shock. Who had shot the guard? They had agreed that no one needed to die. Someone had killed that guard. And now they were left with no choice but to fight their way out.


	3. Trust my luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were safe.

Michael was crouched down behind the cart, taking out the guards by the door as alarms started blaring. If they didn't get out of here soon, the game was up. Effortlessly he shot one in the leg, the next in the arm, careful not to kill anyone. They hadn't done anything wrong - not to Michael, anyway. It appeared that years of video games had been good practice, because soon the guards were down and Michael was dragging a shocked Ashton up beside him and making a break for the door, close behind Luke and Calum as he heard other guards coming fast around the corner. They grabbed the key cards, swiped them, and the doors began to crack open.

It was nighttime so it was dark, Michael couldn't see much as they ran out into the open, but the air was so much clearer and fresher, there was nothing in their way, and Michael had never felt more free. Even the dirt beneath his feet was a welcome and surreal feeling. The doors behind them quickly shut before they had even fully opened; the doors were never supposed to open. Michael guessed the guards didn't want anything getting in.

They didn't stop running for several minutes, the adrenalin carrying them on until suddenly it caught up to them, and they were panting and exhausted. But Michael was so happy in that moment that they were finally out that he couldn't have cared less. The camp was in the middle of nowhere, a large expanse of dirt and dead trees, but in the light of the moon and the stars everything was beautiful. It was much better than metal anyway, Michael thought.

Soon the excitement of the moment was over, and the four of them lay on the dirty ground, speechless and breathless. Not a sound could be heard. Nothing. No birds were singing, but it was probably just because it was nighttime and there wasn't really many places for birds to live around here. Michael had no idea where they were.

And soon they were up and just staring at eachother, until Luke laughed out loud with relief, and the others joined in until soon they were all in hysterics because they were free. They were safe.

But even in the dark, Michael could see the blood painting his friends' faces, and the whole scene from before replayed in his head. They could still see the camp from where they were, and Michael could imagine the bodies just inside the enormous doors. The bodies of the people they'd hurt. The body of someone they'd killed. But someone had fired the shot first, someone had started it. As the laughing died down, the air was filled with thick tension and awkwardness.

"Who killed that guard?" Michael whispered after a moment, barely audible. The cool breeze was causing goosebumps to appear on his arms now, or maybe that was the guilt. They all looked at him in surprise, before looking around at each other. One look at Ashton told Michael that he felt just as guilty as he did, but he knew for a fact it wasn't Ashton. He'd been stood right next to him. Luke stared right back at him, looking scared as if he'd get the blame. He was innocent.

Calum was staring down at the dirt, completely still. He said nothing, his face blank and expressionless. Michael hated to admit it, but he knew. One look at the others told Michael that they all knew; the way they were staring at the kiwi with such confusion meant they had noticed Calum's lack of reaction as well. They knew. They knew that it was Calum who killed that man.


	4. Faith still needs a gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael sounded choked, like he struggled to even speak Calum's name.

__Calum couldn't look at them in the eye. He felt sick. He had been foolish to hope that maybe they'd just forget about it. Because here they all were now, staring at him in shock and horror because he had killed someone. Someone who, although probably not entirely innocent themselves, was only doing their job. Calum could've cut the tension in the cold night air with a knife. It was choking him. They sat there in silence, Calum never once daring to look up at them. He couldn't bare to see the disappointment and disgust that would be painted across their faces.

"Calum?" Michael sounded choked, like he struggled to even speak Calum's name. Calum didn't move. Didn't speak. The silence was agony.

"Tell me you didn't, Calum." Michael near enough pleaded. But Calum couldn't tell him that, because it was a lie.

"I'm sorry, Mikey." A small, bitter tear ran down Calum's cheek.

"Why did you shoot him? That wasn't the plan." It was Ashton, and he sounded angry. Calum looked up finally, to see Ashton stood above him, his jaw set and his arms folded. They didn't understand. Calum stood so the two were face to face, and Calum noticed Luke and Michael slowly getting to their feet to the side.

"I had to, Ashton."  
"No you didn't." Luke quickly shot back, looking just as determined as Ashton, yet still guilty. "We could've found another way out, maybe we-"

"No, Luke. We would've been caught. You know we would, all of you." Calum glared at the three of them. How were they blaming him for this? He got them out alive, the guard was just collateral damage. Keeping them all safe was the only thing that mattered to Calum.

"You didn't have to kill him! You could have shot him in the leg, or the foot! Not straight in the chest!" Ashton shouted. As Ashton's voice grew louder, Calum felt himself getting more and more angry. Despite himself, Calum knew they were just blaming him because they felt guilty. They wanted the dead guard off their conscience. "You killed a man!"

"Well better him than you!" Calum yelled back. "Would you rather I had just let us all get captured? They would've shot us on sight!" The other three were speechless. Ashton's mouth hung open slightly as he struggled to find the words to say, Luke stared at his feet and Michael shuffled awkwardly in the dirt behind them. "I can't lose you three too. I can't. You're all I have left."

They stared at Calum, looking even more guilty than before, and this time it wasn't because they'd killed someone. Ashton's frown softened. "Calum, I'm sor-" He started, but he was cut off.

"We'll stay here tonight. It's too dark to go any further." And with that, the four of them hesitantly settled down on the hard, uncomfortable ground in chilling silence. That night, all Calum could think of was what he had done. They had been stupid to think they'd be able to escape so easily.

That may have been the first person they killed, but it certainly wouldn't be the last.


	5. Sinners to play as saints

It took them about a week to finally find their way and figure out where they were, and luckily there'd been no trouble. No encounters with any of the Fallen, no survivors. After years of being trapped inside the camp, maybe the worst had blown over. Maybe everything was okay now. They hadn't had a shower or a proper meal in what felt like forever, but at least they were out.

Nonetheless, they stayed close to each other, never leaving each other's sight, in fact. Most people would probably find it tiresome, but they had been friends for most of their lives so it didn't bother them, really. Well, it didn't bother Luke. He liked feeling safe. He wasn't sure about the others.

So it was as they were walking along the main road, desperate to find their way back to Sydney, their home, that Luke cherished this bubble of safety more than ever. Because there was a car only just visible on the horizon, and it was heading straight towards them. It was the first sign of life they'd seen since leaving. And it could be anyone.

"Look." Luke said bluntly, trying to mask the fear he was feeling, and pointed to the car that was travelling at too fast a pace for comfort. The others all followed his line of sight and instantly froze, shooting alarmed glances at one another. Ashton's grabbing Luke's sleeve then and dragging him off of the road, but there was nowhere for them to hide. They couldn't even run.

"Shit." Michael cursed. The panic was evident in his eyes too. Luke wondered if they had come all this way just to die on the side of the road. Apparently Calum had other ideas, though; Luke watched as Calum's hand slowly reached for his pocket, making sure his gun was there and gripping it slightly. Ashton noticed too, apparently: "Let me do the talking. We don't want things getting out of hand." It was a general statement, but firm enough for Luke to know who it was directed at.

Luke watched as Calum rolled his eyes, and for a second he was scared there was going to be another row, but eventually the kiwi hesitantly dropped his hand back down by his side. As the car drew closer, they could see that it was near the ends of its days. It was a rusty, blue box of metal barely held up by four tyres of completely different shapes and sizes. But you don't judge a book by its cover.

For a second, Luke was hopeful that the car was just going to carry on past them, but with a deafening screech, the car came to a sudden halt right next to where they were standing. The sun glaring in Luke's eyes off the dirty windows of the car meant that Luke couldn't see who was inside, but after a moment the door was swung open and a man stepped outside. He was young, yet older than them. He had short sandy hair and green eyes that were wide with fear. Luke noticed, with distaste, the multiple splatters of blood across the man's shirt.

Michael was tense beside him. Ashton had his arms folded as if he was waiting for an explanation. Calum's hand had gone back to his gun. The man eyed them, before taking a quick step forward. The four of them jumped back, and Ashton held out his arm, warning the man. "Don't come any closer." His voice was harsh and cold.

The man quickly backed away. "I'm sorry, it's just... I need some water. Do you have any?"

"Don't you have your own?" The lack of sympathy in Ashton's voice surprised Luke. He'd never heard the eldest like this before, and it scared him. Ashton was always the friendliest, and safest person Luke knew. He gave Luke this feeling that was impossible to describe, a feeling no one else could. Like everything was okay.

"No, I... We, ran out."  
"Who else is with you?"  
"My wife. She's sick, but we need some water, then she'll be okay."  
The four eyed the car suspiciously. They couldn't see anyone else in there. And the man's frantic nodding was scaring Luke slightly; he looked deranged.   
"Where?" Michael asked.

The man began nodding again, before telling them to wait right there, and moved round to the back of the car. Luke stared at the others, and they looked just as confused as he felt. Why would this man have his wife in the boot of the car? The young man opened the boot quickly and jumped away, staring into the boot with an almost hysteric expression.

"Come on out, honey. These people are going to give us water!" He stood far back from the boot, giving his wife space. From where they were stood, Luke couldn't see who, or what, was in there, but judging by the look on Ashton and Calum's faces, it wasn't something good. A loud, gargled groan suddenly cut through the silence, as a hand gripped the side of the car, and used it to yank itself up and out of the boot. Standing there was not a woman. It may have been once, but not anymore.

The woman, or what was left of her, was pale and covered in rotting flesh. Her eyes were dead, her jaw slack and stained with blood. It groaned again, and made to move towards the man. After overcoming his initial shock, it would seem, Calum yanked out his gun and pointed it towards the two. The man jumped back again, and held his hands up in defence with a nervous laugh. "Hey, cmon now, we just need some water! She'll be fine after that, then we'll be on our way."

Luke's suspicions were confirmed. He really was crazy. The way he still looked at his dead wife with adoration in his eyes was sickening. Whatever his wife once was was not there anymore. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the stranger. But then, watching the Fallen woman stumble around, searching for human flesh to feast on, memories of Ben advancing towards him ripped through his mind, and suddenly all compassion was gone. He pulled out his gun too. He wasn't going to end up like Ben. Wasn't going to let his friends die.

"She's fine." The man repeated, taking a small step towards them.

"I told you to stay back." Ashton warned, clenching his jaw.

"We only need some water." The man's voice was low as he took another step closer. Calum tightened his grip on his gun.

"Please, just le-" The man was cut off as his "wife" finally pounced. She grabbed him by the shoulders from behind, and took a bite into his neck, causing the man to let out a deafening scream. The four of them stumbled back as she finally finished on her husband, and with a cackle of sorts, advanced on _them_. Luke, in his shock, had dropped his gun to the floor. Thank god Calum hadn't. As the woman lunged for Michael, three shots rang out loud. The woman fell to the floor, dead. Her husband's cries were silenced, as a bullet ripped through his skull too. Luke stared at the bodies of the couple, then back at Calum.

His hands shaking, Calum dropped the gun and stumbled back slightly. He had killed again. While Luke knew he only did it to protect them, it couldn't have done much to help Calum's conscience.

Luke watched as the fresh blood leaked out onto the sand. He promptly turned away from the bodies and threw up what little food was left in his stomach. Ashton came over and patted his back as he dry heaved, the taste of bile bitter and sour in his mouth.   
"Let's just leave." He muttered as he straightened up. Ashton nodded in agreement, before looking over to where Michael was whispering something to Calum, and picking up Calum's gun and slipping it discreetly into his own pocket. Calum wasn't in a state to notice.


	6. I can't see from the backseat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was no sign of life anywhere.

"I say we take the car." Ashton told them. He was sick of walking, and he knew the others were too. Besides, they weren't far from home now, and the car would be much quicker than walking. But to his dismay, Michael quickly shook his head. "I don't wanna go in there." He said quietly, his grip on Calum's arm tightening.

"Please, Michael." Ashton pleaded. "It'll be fine, honestly. We're nearly there!"  
Calum grabbed Michaels hand then, and looked him in the eye. "Let's just get there okay? It's safe. I promise."  
Michael reluctantly nodded and followed the others into the car. Ashton watched the whole exchange with fascination, and wondered if they felt more than just friendly feelings towards each other. Ashton knew he did when it came to Luke. But he hadn't told anyone yet. He was just...waiting for the right time. Then again, is there ever really a right time to tell someone you love them in the middle of an apocalypse?

Inside the car it was hot and cramped and stunk of what Ashton guessed was rotting flesh and dried blood. How long had the man been keeping his wife in here? The car ride was mostly silent. Calum had fallen asleep with his head on Michael's shoulder in the backseat, and Luke was absentmindedly staring out of the grimy window.

Ashton was the first to talk, but didn't take his eyes off the road. Since their close escape, he was being very cautious. He had to protect them. "Well at least now we know they can be killed."  
"We knew that anyway." Michael replied dully.   
"Since when?"  
"A bullet in the brain always kills zombies."  
"They're not zombies, Michael."  
"Well, close enough."  
Ashton sighed. It wasn't worth arguing about.

They drove for about another hour until they were finally in the centre of the city. There was no sign of life anywhere. The buildings had been abandoned, but they weren't falling to pieces like they did in the movies. They still looked exactly the same as how they were left, just slightly dirtier perhaps. Ashton thought that that made it even creepier.

They parked at the side of a road that ran straight through their old neighbourhood. Ashton didn't bother keeping the key, the car was running dangerously low on gas anyway. Ashton recognised exactly where they were. Their old houses weren't far from here, but Ashton didn't think he'd be able to go in. None of them would.

They sat in silence for a while, before Luke asked the question that was playing on everyone's mind: "What now?"  
Ashton sighed. They all expected an answer, but in truth, he had no idea. Their plan hadn't been particularly well thought out. They had just been so desperate to get away. Thankfully, Michael's stomach growling loudly interrupted the long silence and added something to Ashton's plan of action.

"We find somewhere to get food." He turned around in his seat so he could see all of them. Luke looked puzzled, and Michael was gently shaking a still sleeping Calum awake. He stirred slightly before yawning and blearily cracking open his eyes to look at them all.

"Huh?"  
The other three chuckled. 

"We need food." Luke explained. "But where from? And what about the rations?"  
"They won't last, we'll run out sooner or later. Has anyone got any ideas? Where are we supposed to find food?"  
The four of them sat in silence, desperately racking their memories for large stores of food in the city that might still remain untouched.   
"We could try the school?" Michael suggested. "Remember the big fridges they used to have in the kitchen? Where they used to cook all the food?"  
"It's worth a try." Calum said, looking into Michael's eyes and smiling. Yep, Ashton thought, there's definitely something going on there.

They all got out of the tiny car and breathed in the fresh, clean air, stretching their disused limbs.   
"We should probably check to see if we can find anything worth keeping in there." Ashton said, gesturing to the vehicle. The other three stayed silent, grimacing and kicking dust up around their feet.   
"Fine, I'll do it." Ashton snapped, getting back in the car and looking in the glove compartments. Nothing. Maybe the boot...the boot where the flesh-eating woman had lived for god knows how long. Oh well, it was worth a try.

Ashton covered his nose immediately as the foul stench from the boot of the car erupted out. As he moved around some of the blood-stained sheets, his hand hit something hard. Uncovering it slowly in fear of finding something like a human limb, he slowly revealed a long, black gun. The others had been previously stood back and watching in disgust, but as soon as Ashton held up the gun, Michael near enough squealed in excitement and jumped forward. "A sniper rifle!" He exclaimed. Ashton didn't understand how anyone could get so excited over a weapon and still be sane. Ashton waved it off as Michael stood there, gazing at his new toy in adoration.   
And so off they left for the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol I'm sorry this chapter is shit


	7. He'd trade his guns for love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn't right."

When they got there, it was exactly how they remembered it. Of course, like every other building it was much dirtier than before, but every corridor, painting, poster - was the same. Michael never thought he'd say it, but he missed school. He'd missed out on a large part of his childhood, and he'd never get it back.

As they made their way through the school and down to the canteen, they were all silent. Reliving memories, Michael supposed. The school was eerily quiet; the school Michael remembered was always buzzing and filled with life. This just felt wrong. On the way to their location, after scouting around the classrooms for anything that could be useful, Ashton managed to find some of the old walkie talkies that the teachers used to use, and somehow they still worked. The batteries were nearly dead, but they worked.

When they finally made it to the kitchen and pushed open the large metals doors, they were greeted with a foul stench. Shaking his head in disbelief, Michael opened one of the fridges before quickly slamming it shut again after just one look at its contents. "Some sicko's left a dead body in there."

"Well it can't be the same in all of them!" Ashton made his way over to the other fridges, only to be greeted with more limbs and blood. "Fuck. Someone took the food a long time ago."

Calum made his way over to one of the counters and sat down, running a hand over his face. Michael could tell he was tired. Not just physically, just _tired_. "What now?" The younger boy asked.

Michael didn't have the energy to go anywhere else today. None of them did. "I say we see if the showers are still working, and stay here for the night. It's getting dark, there's no point moving anywhere else." The others nodded their heads in agreement.

By some miracle, the water was still running in the school, and it seemed okay. Michael could've cried with relief when he finally felt the rush of water on his skin. Sure, it was freezing, but he felt clean for the first time in forever.

They made camp in the corridor near the toilets, out of sight of anyone who came round the corner, and close to the toilets if anyone needed to go in the night. Michael decided to take first watch, and then Calum would take over.

As he sat watching over his sleeping friends, Michael felt his eyes inevitably drifting towards Calum. In as least a creepy way as possible, Michael loved watching Calum sleep. The kiwi was too _young_ to have such stress and pain painted on his face, but at night it went away. Calum looked so peaceful lying there, snoring gently, his chest falling and rising like clockwork.

Michael felt tears running down his cheeks then, because this felt so wrong. What had any of them done to deserve this? All Michael wanted was happiness for him and his friends. Screw the fucking apocalypse. They were too young for this.

Then all of a sudden there was a comforting hand squeezing his shoulder gently, and Michael turned to find Calum there, awake now, the stress and concern back in his eyes. "This isn't right, Cal." Michael couldn't stop the tears now, tears running freely down his face.

"I know, Mikey. I know it's not, but we have each other, yeah? That's all that matters." Calum wrapped his arms around Michael, and Michael let him. He loved how Calum was safety.

"I love you." Michael whispered, barely audible. Calum stilled slightly, and for a second, Michael couldn't decide if he'd heard him or not, but he was soon put out of his misery.

"I love you too, Michael."


	8. He keeps waking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A series of shrieks echoed down the hallway, chilling Calum to the bone.

Calum didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He was too alert, awake, _alive_. Because Michael loved him back, and now everything felt like it was going to be okay again. Nothing could hurt them.

But that feeling didn't last long. Because soon, just as the sun started slicing through the cracks in the old, broken blinds and Calum's eyelids were finally starting to droop, a series of shrieks echoed down the hallways, chilling Calum to the bone.

He froze. From the sound of it, the Fallen were a few corridors away. They had to leave, and they had to leave now. As quietly but as quickly as he could, Calum shook the other three awake. They stirred slowly, yawning and stretching. They didn't have time for this.   
"We need to go. Now." Calum hissed at them. Michael must've sensed the urgency and panic in Calum's voice, because within a second he was up, his arm gripping Calum's forearm gently.

"What's wrong, Cal?"  
"The Fallen. They're here. We need to go." Calum repeated.  
Ashton and Luke got up too, and the four of them grabbed what little they had with them and left through the nearest window. After creeping around for a bit around the outside of the building and finding no Fallen around, they made a break for it, and didn't stop running for another five blocks.

Calum bent over on the pavement, panting. He was exhausted. Not just from the run, but from lack of sleep and food. His stomach growling reminded him of this.   
"What now?" He asked once he'd caught his breath.   
"Huh?" Ashton asked.   
"Food. We need food. There wasn't any at the school, so what now?"  
The four of them fell silent.

"Well, if we start eating each other, I'm not being eaten first." Michael shrugged. The other three shot him an exasperated look, but the corners of Calum's mouth twitched in a small smile. Anything Michael said or did could make Calum smile.

"I've got it." Ashton said. "The hospital. Think about it, they had to serve all the patients. When I had appendicitis I went exploring and found the stores, they're huge and-"

"No." Luke was shaking his head, almost frantically. "That was where the disease broke out. The only reason Ben...got it, was because he went to visit his friend. If the Fallen are anywhere in this fucking city, they're at that hospital."

Calum had to admit, he had a point. They'd been lucky with the amount of dangerous encounters they'd had so far, and none of them really wanted to break that streak. Calum didn't really know if he could kill anymore.

"What other choice do we have? We either die from starvation, or we go to that hospital. As long as we're together, we're fine." Ashton reassured Luke. Calum didn't fail to notice the way he took his hand and gently squeezed it too. Calum had known for a long time about Ashton's feelings for Luke. Obviously, he hadn't told anyone, but he hoped Ashton came out with it soon. He wasn't sure how much time they had left together.

All it took was a desperate growl from his stomach and Calum was nodding in agreement. They needed food as soon as possible. "Ashton's right. We'll die if we don't eat soon. But the foods been there for five years. It's gunna be rotten by now, right?"

Ashton shook his head. "It's all kept underground. Even if the electricity went out, it's still cold down there. Most of it should be fine as long as no one else has had the same idea as us."

One of the Fallen let out a horrific scream from back at the school, and Michael set off walking down the pavement towards the hospital. "Cmon," he shouted back over his shoulder, "I'm not getting eaten today!"


	9. When it cuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke shuddered. He didn't want to go into that hospital full stop, let alone by himself.

There it was. The hospital. To Luke, it didn't have that familiar hospital smell anymore. It smelt like death. He shuddered as the four of them drew nearer. He had a bad feeling about this, but the others were set. Luke understood, he was hungry too, but the unease creeping up on him didn't vanish just because of his need for food.

They came to a stop, squinting up at the building as the white sun bounced off the grimy windows and into their eyes. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, Michael turned to look at Ashton. "What now?"  
Luke couldn't help but feel sympathetic for Ashton. Everyone always expected him to know everything. But then again, he was the leader of the group. Always had been, always would be.

"Well, I guess we go in. I mean, it's probably best if we split up to try and find the fridges."

"Find them? You mean you don't actually know where they are?" Calum retorted. "You said-"

"Hey, that was over five years ago!" Ashton raised his hands in defence. "Besides, there's probably some vending machines on the higher floors. We should try and find some of those too."

Luke shuddered. He didn't want to go into that hospital full stop, let alone by himself. But he knew the others would go along with it. They never listened to him. And anyway, what Ashton said made sense. Luke was just scared. He was just being stupid, superstitious. Everything would be fine.

"Wait, but what if they come while we're in there? We won't be able to see them coming. We'll be trapped." Calum grimaced.

"No, we won't." Michael said suddenly. Luke tilted his head slightly in question, but then Michael held up his gun. His sniper rifle. "I'll cover you. There's a couple old buildings back there," he turned, gesturing to the office blocks that had seen better days, "I can make my way up to the roof and shoot anything that heads your way."

Luke made to protest, but on second thought it wasn't necessarily a bad idea. He just really didn't like the thought of splitting up. Not one bit. Luke's bubble of safety was bursting and it scared him.

"Good idea. Hey, let's each of us take one of these walkie talkies, yeah?" Ashton held up the dusty devices. "Just incase... Well, just incase."

Luke begrudgingly shoved one into his back pocket, but made sure it was turned on first. At least if he wasn't there with them in person, he'd still be able to hear the others. That was something.

"Everyone's got guns, right?" Ashton asked.

Calum nodded, and Luke hesitantly did the same, holding his up for extra reassurance. He knew how to use one, of course, but that didn't mean he wanted to.

After squeezing Calum's shoulder and staring into his eyes, lingering for just a second longer than friends would, Michael took off in the opposite direction, leaving the three of them to go into the hospital.

Luke felt his stomach lurch as they entered the lobby, and this time, it wasn't the hunger. All Luke could feel, hear, smell, see...was death. Nothing moved, all was silent. It hung in the air like thick dust. Blood was spattered across the walls and the floors, tiny specks that now stained the once sterile surfaces. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, and Calum and Ashton didn't look very pleased to be there either.

"Hey guys!" Echoed sudden and loud through the room. Ashton yelled, Calum stumbled backwards over a chair and Luke jumped out of his skin. "Michael!" They all growled angrily into their walkie talkies.   
"You scared the shit out of me!" Luke complained.   
"Sorry," Luke could almost see Michael grinning, "just checking they work."

Ashton sighed in exasperation. "Right, me and Calum will take second floor, you take bottom Luke."

Luke's heart was hammering in his chest. "Why do I have to be alone?" He near enough squeaked. He didn't mean to sound so childish, but it was the truth.

"Because that way, you're closer to the exit." Ashton reasoned with him calmly, his hazel eyes fixated on Luke. Luke felt the panic blow over. Ashton made him feel safe. He slowly nodded, averting his eyes in embarrassment.

"You'll be fine, Lukey." Calum chuckled. "Just call us if you need anything." He said, patting his walkie talkie. Luke nodded again, slowly gripping his own for comfort.

"Be safe." Ashton warned him, before the two ran off towards the nearest staircase. Luke was alone now. Gulping slightly, the blond haired boy set off in a slight jog in the opposite direction. Just look for the food, he told himself, everything will be fine. Luke just wanted to get what they needed and get out of there as soon as possible.

So it was when Luke found the door to what had to be the food stores, he didn't hesitate once. He was doing it for the others, to make them proud. He could do it. He had to hit the doors open with his gun because they'd sealed shut after years of disuse, but he was in quickly. It was dark, and Luke couldn't see much, but Ashton was right. There were large, metal fridges all lined up across the walls, and upon first inspection, they were full of food. Luke could've jumped for joy. He grabbed his walkie talkie to tell the others the good news.

"Guys, I found them! I found the-" he was cut off by a low snarl in his ear, and then a bite to his neck. Luke frowned, because that wasn't right. Why was someone biting his neck. He felt blood, his blood, rushing out and he gasped slightly, but still no sound escaped his lips. No scream for help, nothing. He just stood there whilst he let someone rip his neck apart. He was dying.

Only then did he come to his senses, and Luke yanked his gun from his pocket, finally yelling out in pain and spinning around to shoot the infected man in the face five times. It staggered back, shrieking, but finally fell to its knees as blood gushed out onto the cold stone floor.

Luke stood there, unable to breathe. Maybe it was because of the shock, but it was probably something more to do with the gaping hole in the side of his throat. He could vaguely hear the others' alarmed calls on the walkie talkie which had clattered to the floor, but he didn't have the energy to grab it.

He sunk to his knees, defeated, the blood still pouring down his neck and staining his T-shirt a deep crimson. He had been bitten by one of the Fallen.

He was going to _die_.


	10. The violent streets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke was the only thing that mattered.

"Guys, I found them! I found the-" The walkie talkie went silent. Luke's voice couldn't be heard anymore, just static. For a second, Ashton was confused, until he heard the shrieks of the Fallen echoing from what sounded like downstairs, and he began frantically jabbing the buttons on the small box, shouting at Luke to come back. When nothing could be heard in return but Calum and Michael panicking over the channel, Ashton could've thrown it at the wall in frustration.

But he managed to calm himself down, and tried to listen to what the others were saying.   
"Ashton? Ashton, what was that?" Calum yelled.   
"Listen, you stay where you are, I'll go find him, I'm closest. Don't move, Calum. Got it?"  
"Okay..." Calum trailed off.

Then Ashton was sprinting through the hospital, down the stairs, and there they were. A group of the dead people, blocking the way to what had to be the fridges. To Luke. He shot them all in the head, bullet after bullet, never once missing his target. His face grim and splattered with blood, he mowed them all down. Because Luke was the only thing that mattered.

The first thing Ashton saw was blood, and a lot of it. Blood on the walls, blood pooling on the ground, blood on the walkie talkie that'd been discarded, blood on Luke's hands, blood on Luke's neck. Luke was bleeding. Luke was _dying_.

Ashton ran to where the blonde boy was lying, the life rapidly draining from him. Cradling Luke's head in his lap, Ashton choked out a sob as he inspected the wound. There was no saving Luke. He was going to become one of them.

He could see that Luke was fighting to keep his eyes open, struggling for breath. Tears ran down both of their cheeks.   
"A-Ash.."  
"Shhhh," Ashton soothed through his own sobs, stroking Luke's cheek. "Don't talk. Everything's going to be alright." It was a lie, they both knew it, but it was all Ashton had to go on.   
"Ashton, please, I just-" Luke took in a deep, ragged breath, whimpering slightly at the pain. "I h-have to tell you s-something."  
Ashton nodded down at him, sobbing again.   
"I-" He coughed, his lips stained red. "I love you." Luke's eyes flickered shut slightly. He only had a few moments of life left.   
Ashton blinked down at Luke, and noticed how even when dying, Luke was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

He smoothed Luke's blonde hair back, before bending down and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I love you too. This way, we can both be together." He whispered, before pulling the pin on the grenade he had in his hand.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He had lost them. He had failed.

Calum had heard everything. One of the buttons on Ashton's walkie talkie had to be jammed, because he could hear what they were saying. He could hear Luke dying. And he knew that Ashton had told him to stay where he was, but how could anyone expect you not to move when one of your best friends was on the brink of death?

So there Calum was, sprinting down the corridor towards his friends, when he was met by a burst of heat and was thrown back by a crashing blast. He hit the wall and fell to the ground. He lay there on the floor, choking on smoke and blinking to desperately try and get his vision to focus.

As he shakily got to his feet, he realised with a sickening panic that the blast had come from downstairs. From where Ashton and Luke were. His heart thudded in his chest as it dawned on him. He was too late. They were dead. Both of them. _Dead_.

He sunk to his knees and started sobbing. He could hear Michael screaming at him over the radio, begging Calum to tell him what had happened, but Calum couldn't bring himself to reply. He had lost them. He had failed. Michael was all he had left now. He couldn't lose him too.

Pulling himself up, Calum stood staring down into the cellar that had now become an eternal grave, one last time, before slowly stumbling back the way he came, towards the exit.

He couldn't focus on anything, his vision still fuzzy and his hearing hazy. He didn't even hear Michael yelling at him over the walkie talkie anymore. It was probably broken. Everything felt like a dream. It had to be a dream. They couldn't really be dead. It was for that same reason that Calum didn't hear the Fallen coming, nor did he see them. It was only when one was yanking him back by his shoulder did he finally snap out of it. He spun around, knocking the rotten hand away from him and stumbling back. He tripped over nothing and fell down, but continued to scramble away as fast as he could.

Calum dragged himself along, kicking one in the face as it pulled at his leg. They were gaining on him. He desperately tried to get to his feet again, but they knocked him down. There was only one or two, but he was defenceless. His gun was nowhere to be found; it should've been in his pocket. Where was his gun?

He finally got to his feet and sprinted away as fast as his legs could carry him, but was met by another one of them at the end of the corridor, and skidded to a halt. He was trapped, and he was going to die.

As they drew closer, Calum clenched his jaw and screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want to die this way. But they never came. As he slowly cracked open an eye, he noticed with relief that all of them now had a bullet inside them, and the windows had been shattered. Michael. He was safe.

He panted, exhausted, pausing only to look at the bodies a second longer before continuing to trudge towards the exit. But then there was a sharp pain in his leg, a fiery, burning pain and Calum was shouting, and he looked down to see a bloody jaw clamped down around his calf. This one hadn't died. With his free foot he kicked it off, and stamped on the head of the dead thing until its decaying brains were spread across the white floor.

He watched as the blood seeped out of his leg and mingled with the remains of the Fallen and all of a sudden he was throwing up, retching up bile and dry heaving because he'd had nothing proper to eat in days. He had to get back to Michael. In his daze he realised that yes, he was definitely going to die, just like Luke and Ashton, but he had to get back to Michael. Michael.


	12. You're the only refuge now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hadn't lost all of them. He still had Calum...

"This way, we can be together."  
Michael didn't have to guess what those words meant. When a crash visibly shook the hospital, and smoke billowed out of the windows and flames licked the walls of the building, Michael knew they were gone. He knew Ashton and Luke were dead. Michael screamed into his walkie talkie for them, but of course, there was no reply. From any of them. Why wasn't Calum replying?

"Calum? Calum, what's going on? Where are you, are you okay?" After repeatedly shouting into the walkie talks and receiving no response, Michael threw it across the roof of the small building in anger, where it bounced off the wall, breaking. He needed to at least know if Calum was okay. The others may be dead, but Calum had to be okay.

It was as Michael was running his hands through his hair in frustration, he noticed movement in the hospital. From where he was he couldn't see much, but looking through his gun, he could just make out a figure in one of the windows through all the smoke. It was Calum. He was still, unmoving, and it was then that Michael noticed with his heart thudding in his chest that Calum wasn't alone.

Several others were advancing towards his best friend, reaching out to grab him. Without hesitation, Michael took them out. Because he couldn't lose Calum too. After a moment, Calum moved out of sight, back towards the exit Michael supposed. Throwing his gun aside, Michael sprinted down the stairs of the building and back out into the wide street.

He could've cried when he saw Calum stumble out into the open, choking on smoke. He broke into a run across the street, relief washing over him like a tidal wave. They were okay. Calum wasn't running back, though. Calum was stumbling forward still, limping, almost. Why was he walking like that? Even from the distance, Michael could still see the thin trail of blood Calum was leaving on the dirty street with each step he took.

But finally he was there, only a few feet away. He hadn't lost all of them. He still had Calum.   
"Michael-" Calum began before Michael had even stopped running. "Michael, Ashton and Luke, they're- they're dead..." Calum sobbed out. His face was smeared with dirt and blood, making the tear tracks down his tanned cheeks all the more visible.

"I know." Michael choked. "I know, but it's okay, we- Calum?"  
The younger boy was clutching his stomach, swaying slightly where he stood. Only now did Michael see how pale Calum was, and remembered the blood. "Are you okay, are you hurt?" He asked with concern.

"'M fine, it's nothin'..." His speech was slurred slightly. He tried to take a few steps closer to Michael, but he tripped at the last moment, falling forward. Michael sprang into action, catching the kiwi under his arms, and after noticing the state he was in, gently laid him down with his head on Michael's lap.

"Calum." Michael said softly, patting the boys cheek. Calum's eyes were glassy and glazed over, rolling around as he struggled to focus on anything. Finally they met Michael's, confused and quite obviously in pain.

"Calum, where are you hurt?" When Calum tried to reach down to his leg and pull up the leg of his trousers and failed, falling back into Michael's lap with a grunt, Michael felt a growing sense of dread creeping up on him. He gingerly reached down to Calum's leg himself, and lifted up the ripped and bloody material ever so slightly. Underneath was a bite mark, angrily red and unmistakeable. Michael choked back a sob, and turned his gaze back to Calum's.

"It'll be alright," he breathed out, tears rolling down his cheeks as he stroked Calum's away, but Calum shook his head.   
"Didn't have my gun," he explained, "didn't have my... my gun." He was struggling to get his words out, Michael could tell. And then everything stopped. Because as Michael adjusted his position and he felt something shift in his back pocket, he realised with a sickening feeling that he had Calum's gun. Slowly and shakily reaching towards his pocket, he brought out the black handgun for Calum to see.

"I-I took it... Back at the- back at the car.." Michael sobbed out, screwing his eyes shut. It was his fault that Calum was here, dying in his lap. Calum shook his head as quickly as he could in his current position, frowning.   
"N-no, not your fault..." His breathing was coming in short and shallow pants; Calum was barely managing to keep his eyes open. They didn't have much time.

Calum moaned in pain, long and low, his hand fisting in Michael's T-shirt. The virus was taking hold of him. His eyes shot open, and he stared up at Michael.   
"I love you." He gasped out. "I love you, I love you I loveyouIloveyou..."  
"I know, shhh..." Michael soothed him, caressing his soft skin. "I love you too Calum. Please, please don't leave me." He choked out.

Calum let out a strangled whimper, his legs kicking out slightly. "Mikey, shoot me. Please." It was barely a whisper, but it cut through Michael like a knife.   
"No Calum, no-" he started, but the weak boy cut him off.  
"You have to, Michael. Don't let me turn into one of them. Please," Calum pleaded desperately. "It h-hurts.."  
Michael stared at him blankly for a moment, then down at the gun in his hand. He couldn't kill Calum. He couldn't, he loved him. But Calum was dead anyway. He had to. He had to do it. For Calum.

Through his tears he felt Calum's hand weakly grasping his own, his hand with the gun in it, and brought it down so the barrel was pressed into his rib cage. He sobbed as he held the gun there, Calum's hand keeping it in place.

"I can't do it, Cal..."  
"Kiss me. Michael, kiss me.."  
And so Michael did. He leaned down and connected their lips, gentle and soft. Michael didn't care about the tinge of blood on his lips, or the way they were cracked and dry from no water, because to Michael, Calum's lips would always be the most perfect lips he'd ever seen. When finally he pulled away, Michael was so in awe that he didn't notice Calum slowly reaching for the trigger.

Calum smiled at him as the shot went off, his smile never faltering even as the blood ran out of the new hole in his chest. Michael let out a cry, jumping, but Calum's hand was there on his arm, comforting and gentle. He stared into Michael's eyes with large brown ones, and Michael watched with dread as the life slowly drained from them.

Then Calum's hand went slack and fell down to the ground, and his beautiful smile faded, and his eyes drifted off to stare somewhere into the distance, and a small ragged breath slipped through his parted lips. Calum was gone. And Michael was alone.

They stayed there on the floor for what felt like hours, with Michael screaming and crying, and then just staring blankly down at Calum's face, and then begging him to come back. Because Calum had been all Michael had left. But now they were all gone. Calum, Ashton, Luke, they were gone. They were _dead_.

And now Michael was alone, forevermore.

_You're the only refuge now,  
Who's caught in the crossfire_


End file.
